Amusement apparatus



Se t. 16 1924. 1,508,453

1'. n. HOOPER, JR

AMUSEMEPT APPARATUS r 'ned Jan. 2, 1924 wanna-sheet 1 vyww ATTORNEY INVENER= Sept.'16, 1924.

T. D. HOOPER, JR

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Jail. 2, 1924. 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT ioFFIcE.

THoMAs n. HOOPER, an, or msemmvu N JERSEY. I v

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS; a

I Application filed'January 2, 1924. Serial No.683,854 1 To all tvhom it may concern. 1

Be it known that I, THOMAS J r., a citizen of the United States, residing atMerchantville, in the countyof Camden and State of New Jersey,,have invented a certain new and useful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention, generally stated, has relation to the type of amusement apparatus shown and described in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,101,630, dated-June 30, 1914, and No. 1,360,958, dated November 30, 1920. According to the construction of parts shown and described in each of these patents it is necessary to employ flanged traction wheels for the trucks in order to secure the reversal of car movement in the travel of a car over the tracks of a scenic railway. Obviously, by the employment of flanged wheels,'fr0gs in the rail equipment are necessary at the points of intersection of the main track with a loop. A certain amount of danger is present in a track construction of this kind particularly when used in conjunction with scenic railways.

The principal object of the presentinvention therefore, is to overcome this disadvantageous feature and provide a passenger car of an amusement apparatus, commonly known as a scenic railway, with means independently of its traction wheels for causing a car under the influence of gravity to reverse itself bodily at a loop without-changing its course of transit. A further object of the present invention is to provide means upon a passenger car, for preventing a truck from an upward movement with-respect to'th'e rails. A still further object is to provide means for preventing lateral movement of a car in its transit over the tracks of the railway. Other and further objects of the present invention relate to the provision of general details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts for attaining the results sought by the foregoingobjects. j

The invention consists of ,the novel construction hereinafter described and finally claimed. i i i The nature, characteristic" features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, andin which: Fig.1, is a fragmentary view, in plan, of a scenic railway incline, including a loop.

D. HooPER,

Fig. 2,; is a viewin cross-section'taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,'and Fig. 3, is a fragmentary view, in .elevation, of a truck andoneof its guiding rollers.

, For the purpose of illustrating my invention Iqhave shown inthe accompanying drawings one form thereof which i-siat present preferredby-me, sincelthe'samehas been found in prac'ticei'to give satisfactoryjand reliable results, although itis to be understood that, the various instrumentalities' of" which my invention GOIlSlStSICfdILbB variously arranged and organizedand that my. invention is not limited'to' the precise arrangement and organization f of the instrumentallties as hereln shown and described Referring to the drawings in detail-,--- so much of a scenic railwayfiis shown as is necessary to an understanding of the invention. fWhile the following description will be restrictedto a scenic railway itis obvious that the invention may be readily embodied in toyform. The numeral -1,- designates cross-ties and numeralQ, bucks of an incline of ascenicrailway; 3, designatesthe main set of;rails as mounted fupon,crossJties 1,v

and 4, designates rails .forming a loop, the

cross-ties being extended atinterva-ls for this purpose. Adapted for travel over an incline, under the influence-of g ravity,.are passenger cars'5, each of which is mounted upon a pair, of trucks 6. Each truck has swivelled relationasgatf, with a passenger car. Each. truck in practiceiis equipped with four traction,wheels, ,which;v are designated 8, and

which inathe present. instance are devoid of flanges. The v;ra i"ls over which these traction wheels travel ,are of] rectangular cross-section, see Fig. 1, having broad, flat tops which rails are alsoflangeless The traction wheels 8 are of relatively. large width. Each truck 6 is provided with a laterally disposed crosspiece 9, usually of channel iron, and each cross-piece isprovided with a single guiding roller 10 uponthe outer side; of a truck.

These rollers,- which ;are suspended from said cross-pieces inbrackets 11, followthc outside rails iof-both main and loop tracks.

Other rollers 12 are present: and are adapted to track beneath guide rails 13 supported by the bucks. The guide rails 13 follow the mainwand loop tracks. Thepurposeof these ro r-as? and a ls 18 is p ev n fupw r movement of a; truck, that is to prevent a truck leaving the rails during transit of a passe ger weav r ,t erei n y 1. 9

to prevent lateral or sidevvise-wmovementof a truck, rollersl t are provided: at each-corner of a truck. These rollers bearagainst the inner faces of the rails 18, previously described. By this arrangementand con struction of parts both svvayingand, ing of a truck is obviated. The axes of the rollers 10 and 14C are vertic'ally arranged and follow the main outer track With; the result that the rear end of the'-- car is svv ung 'for Wardand as it has a} shorter" distance to" go, the rear truck precedes-What was the; front truck and temporarily becomes the leading truck. By the exchange ottruck places the body of thecar, because of itsswivelledeonnections' with saidtrucks, has been shifted end for end-so that the passengers therein-are now seated backWardl-y instead of forwardly in the original position-of the ear. Topro; mote the co ntor'tot the occupant-sot a car it is desirable to immediately re-s-hiift thecar body and preferably upon the op'posit'eside of the main railsso that'the passengers'sha'll not'be subjected to dizziness, TOZe-Ee'ct' this re -shifting a du licat'e loop construction is employed, but W ich is not illustrated, this reversing of cars being clearly illustrated" in my aforesaid patents; Obviously, such 11eversal need not necessarily take place iminediately and as many'loops and in; as many locations as desired may be employed; as practice may dictate, the essential feature of the present invention being the use of flangeles's" traction Wheels and i the employment of guide'rollers co-operating-' with flat rails for effecting reversal of passenger car WltllOLll} interfering with it original course'of' transit.

It will; novv be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the 'featuresof advantage enumeratej'd as desirable inthe statement o-f the invention and the above descriptionand While I have in the present instance shown and described thepreferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give sat-isfactoryjand reliable results, it t ing tlius des;

elzs a tis 1 In amusement/f apeaeatas; an;

provided with a single set of traction rails, aloop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction Wheels adapted-for travel oveiysaid rails under the influence ofgravity, a car supported by said pairof; trucks and having sWivelled relation With each thereof and guiding means independent of the traction Wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is Ci'iillfiSGCl toreverse'itself bodily without changin'g itsicour-se' of transit.

2. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided With a single set of traction rails, a loop arranged along theline of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of; trucks and having 'svvive'lled relation with each thereof, guiding means in; dependent of the traction heels carried by each truck and arranged tos'o track said rails that upon reachinga loop, the car is caused to reverse itself; bodily Without changing its course of; transit, and means to holdsaid trucks against upward movement.

3'. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided With a single set of traction rails, aloop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction Wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having svvivelled relation With each thereof, guiding means independent of the traction Wheels. carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily Without changing its course of transit, and means to prevent sidewise' movement of said trucks,

l In amusement apparatus, an incline provided With a 'sin'gle set oftraction rails. a loop arranged, along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction Wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influenceof gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having swivelled relation With each thereof, guiding means independent" ofv the traction Wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said railsthat upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to] reverse itself bodily Without changing its course oftransihmeans to hold said trucks against upward movement and means to prevent sidewise; movement of said trucks. i

5. In amusement apparatus, an incline prevailed With a singl e'set of traction rails, a loop" arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction Wheels for travel over said rails under the c'e oitfgravity, a car. supported by, said l of, trucks and having 'svvivelled relatien'with each thereof, guiding rollers carried at one side of each truck arranged to ill) track upon the outer faces of said rails so that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course of transit.

6. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided with a single set of traction rails, a loop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including tractionwheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having swivelled relation with each thereof, guiding rollers the axes of which are vertically disposed, carried at one side of each truck arranged to track upon the outer faces of said rails so that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course of transit.

7. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided with a single set of traction rails, a loop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having swivelled relation with each thereof, guiding means independent of the traction wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course of transit, guard rails following the line of said tracks and rollers carried by the trucks for tracking beneath said guard rails.

8. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided with a single set of traction rails, a loop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having swivelled rela tion with each thereof, guiding means independent of the traction wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course of transit, guard rails following the line of said tracks and rollers the axes of which are horizontally disposed carried by the trucks for trackingbeneath said guard rails.

9. In amusement apparatus, an incline provided with a single set of traction rails,

a loop arranged along the line of said rails, a pair of trucks including traction wheels adapted for travel over said rails under the influence of gravity, a car supported by said pair of trucks and having swivelled rela tion with each thereof, guiding means inder pendent of the traction wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course of transit, guard rails.-

following the line of said tracks and rollers independent of the traction wheels carried by each truck and arranged to so track said rails that upon reaching a loop, the car is caused to reverse itself bodily without changing its course oftransit, guard rails following the line of said tracks and rollers the aXes of which arevertically disposed carried by saidv trucks for tracking upon the ii inner vertical faces of said guardrails.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. JACKSON, LILLY C. OLSON.

THOMAS D. HOOPER, JR. 

